Death of A Hero
by Maannga
Summary: Link is dying, and a woman appears before him to help him go. Rated T for a "swear" word.


**The words in Italic are the real words to a song that I have come to love, and had to make into a story. Please enjoy.**

* * *

The battlefield had fallen quiet, and still. The troops on either side had withdrawn from the blood-stained terrain, some limping with broken or lost limbs, others were carried or dragged off. The only sound that came from the soldiers were sobs of despair as they passed their fallen brethren. Some looked away from the dead with melancholy; some fell down on their knees and screamed toward the heavens. Most walked, heads bent low with respect as they marched by.

Crows and vultures flew overhead, watching with a keen eye on their newly made feast. A few made a dive toward a body that had fallen by the only tree in the field. Squawking excitedly, they hopped toward the meal, fighting along the way to see who gets the first bite. But as they neared, the body moved, and said in a weak voice, "Shoo." Terrified that their meal was still alive, the birds scattered. Angry, they screamed at the dying soldier, but went away to find a different, dead meal.

Link watched the birds go, then looked out into the large battle field. The grass had died long ago from drinking the blood of the slaughtered, and there were pools of blood that filled the holes made from the bombs used in battle. Bodies were scattered throughout the land, rotting were they had fallen and he watched with disgust as birds of prey tore happily into the decaying flesh. Link could see houses off in the distance, burning with the hot flames from hell. Their timbers still stood, but were black, charred by the fire.

Link began to stand, but felt a sharp pain in his side. Falling back, he gripped his injured side and moaned in agony. Bringing his knees to his head, he gritted his teeth to prevent a scream. After a moment, the feeling passed, and Link glanced at his hand. It was dripping in blood.

Clouds swirled in the sky, darkening the world from the horrible sight, but Link could still se the images of twisted faces and spilling guts invaded his mind. How many did he kill? How many did lives did he tear away from families and loved ones? How many lives did he destroy, and how many bodies did he rip apart? Tears swelled up in his eyes, and ran down his face, creating two pathways of white through his dirty face.

Breathing was becoming hard. He could feel his lungs fail him, as they began to slowly collapse within his chest. He tried to gulp more air, but he only ended up coughing, and as he did he barfed up dark blood. It splattered on the ground, staining the dirt, and it splattered his shirt as well. He gripped his chest with fear, because he knew he was dying. And he was dying alone.

Link was afraid; he was not ready to die. There was so much that he had to do! He had to continue to serve his country. He had promised his young friend to teach him to use a sword. He had to tell her… he had something important to tell her… about his feelings.

Crying harder, he leaned back against the dead tree and let it support his head. He no longer had the strength to hold himself up. He was thankful for the tree. "Thank you," he muttered. At least he had the tree to comfort him.

Someone spoke, words of beauty that sounded like angels singing. Link ignored the voice, tired of sound. "Go away," he whispered. He saw a hand reach out and touch his cheek. He lifted his eyes to the face of a beautiful woman, whose sharp green eyes looked into his blue ones. He saw love in those eyes, and gentleness but pain, as if she had seen too many lives taken from her. Her golden hair was long, and covered her shoulders, and the light seemed to create a halo over her head. She wore a dress, but Link could no longer identify color to see its shade. She spoke now, and this time Link listened to her words.

"_Come back to me, with all your heart. Don't let fear keep us apart. Trees do bend, though straight and tall. So must we, to others call." _She almost sang the words in a honey-richened voice, and Link's fears evaporated. He smiled, and coughed up more blood. The woman wiped his face with the edge of her dress, and said something, but Link could not hear her; his hearing was going. He felt his heart slow down, and get weaker and weaker as it tried to sustain his life force with every ounce of energy it had left.

"_The wilderness will lead you to the place, where I speak true. Integrity and justice, with tenderness you shall know." _she said, brushing Link's limp, dirty hair out of his face. Link strained to hear more, but the woman had fallen silent. She stared at Link's face for a moment before taking his hand and squeezing it gently. Her hand was smooth and soft, like the touch of a flower petal.

Link could still feel her hand, even after he only saw darkness, and after his hearing failed. He could feel the last of his heartbeats, as each one got fainter and fainter. He wheezed loudly, trying to get oxygen, but his lungs refused. It was over. This was it.

At last, his head fell and his hand went limp in the woman's hand. The woman gently let him go. She took off his glove on his left hand, revealing a symbol that resided on the back his hand. It glowed for a moment before fading and disappearing from his skin entirely. The woman put the glove back on, hugged Link, and walked away.

* * *

A man sat up in bed. His face beamed with pleasure and he jumped out of bed with joy, dancing around the room to retrieve his robe. His wife, who was a beauty in her younger years, sat up as well, and light a candle. "Leo, what is the matter? Have you gone mad? Why are you up dancing at such a late time at night?" she questioned, shock and confusion in her voice. Leo put a cap over his balding head, and glasses on his nose. "Why am I?" he laughed, jumping into his slippers. "I have remembered something! Something important! After all these years, I have remembered what she said! Blasted nightgown," he said as he caught his long pajamas on the knob of his bed.

His wife got out of the bed, but in a nicer fashion that her husband. "What is heavens name are you talking about? What woman? What did she say?" Leo held up a hand. "Silence, Kelsey! I am going to write it down before I forget!" Zooming out of the room, he left his wife standing there with a blank look on her face and a candle, dripping wax on the floor, in her hand.

Leo was a writer by trade, and wrote hundreds of books about wars and adventures he had witnessed though out his lifetime. He was well known for his history books, but hasn't written anything in a long time. He was retired, but often would write down a small memory that he wanted to remember.

Dashing into his study, he grabbed a pen and began to write furiously. "Yes… that's it. Of course, why didn't I remember sooner!" Kelsey soon followed, and tried to lean over his shoulder to read what he wrote. Leo snatched the paper up, and hide in under his shirt. "NO! Mine. You can't read it. It is very important. Remember when I almost died on my adventures and a woman appeared out of nowhere and…" He waved his hand at her, indicating that she back off. "Shoo, I'm busy. Leave me be." Kelsey scowled, but obliged to her husband, and returned to bed.

Five minutes later, Leo walked back into the room. He yawned, and stretched his body, and Kelsey could hear as his bones cracked. Sighing, he climbed back into bed. "Well. Good night. I'm off to dreamland." Lying his head on his pillow, he turned his back to his wife. Kelsey did not move until she heard his snore, the she got out of bed, and ran into the study.

Leo was a smart man, but dumb enough to leave his papers out for anyone to read. Kelsey looked back to make sure Leo wasn't following before picking up the parchment and opening it. There was several lines written on it, and they looked like a song. Kelsey read the words quickly, and shook her head. "Leo, you crazy dog. No more chocolate before bed for you." Smiling, she put folded the paper up, and returned in to its original place.

Leo was muttering something when she walked back in. "How could forget that line? It was so important." Kelsey ignored her husband, blew the candle out, and went to bed. "Farore," Leo muttered before falling silent.

_Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life._


End file.
